Drew ThalerJan 15, 2023
Federico Viticci 

Let's pour one out for third-party Twitter clients:

Apps that shaped UI conventions, pioneered a market, and in many ways reinvented how we communicate online – unceremoniously killed off by a clown who thinks he's the smartest guy around because he has money.

These apps didn't deserve to end up like this.

https://www.macstories.net/stories/twitter-intentionally-ends-third-party-app-developer-access-to-its-apis/

Twitter Intentionally Ends Third-Party App Developer Access to Its APIs

Late yesterday, The Information reported that it had seen internal Twitter Slack communications confirming that the company had intentionally cut off third-party Twitter app access to its APIs. The shut-down, which happened Thursday night US time, hasn’t affected all apps and services that use the API but instead appears targeted at the most popular third-party

Jan 15, 2023 at 3:56pmWeb
Show threadTom BakerJan 15, 2023
@viticci It shows such a lack of respect and understanding for the platform. He’s just totally ignorant.
Show threadConstantin BauerJan 15, 2023
@viticci That was actually the final straw for me. I think I can see myself returning to twitter one day under a new leadership, but I’m not shure about that either
Show threadJohn ConwayJan 15, 2023

@bauerco @viticci Don't do it Constantin! Any new corporate management would view third-party clients with suspicion. I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did, frankly.

They can never go away on Mastodon.

Show threadConstantin BauerJan 15, 2023
@john @viticci Yeah that’s a good point and one of the most intriguing things about mastodon for me. I’m just not shure mastodon is big enough to sustain my tech bubble. But time will tell. I hope Ivory will make mastodon a bit „smoother“ for me
Show threadJohn ConwayJan 15, 2023
@bauerco @viticci I think Mastodon is pretty strong on Tech, so I think it will work out for you.
Show threadJimJan 16, 2023
@bauerco @viticci Same here.
Show threadF DJan 15, 2023
@viticci Braindead decision. It was the final straw for me, after 10 minutes with the native app I realized I was more of a Tweetbot user than a Twitter user.
Show threadmORAJan 15, 2023
@viticci Tutto vero, ma Twitter ha sempre avuto un brutto rapporto con le terze parti.
Show threadJohn ConwayJan 15, 2023

@viticci Congrats to @tapbots for recognising this was coming fairly early on in the Twitter migration and nearly being ready with their app.

I hope Iconfactory makes Mastodonic.

Show threadGoz 🕹Jan 15, 2023

@viticci One of the most used gestures on phones today, the pull to refresh, was invented with a 3rd party client, Tweetie, by Loren Brichter.

I’m hoping Mastodon clients will continue to push the boundaries of interface design.

Show threadGoz 🕹Jan 15, 2023
@viticci And that’s what I get for commented before reading the article. 😍 I was going to delete my toot, it decided to leave it up to remind me to read the article before commenting!!
Show threadMax FlightJan 15, 2023
@viticci @viticci Hootsuite is working for me at this time. However, if Twitter is in fact intentionally blocking 3rd party access to it's API, then I'm going to seriously think about closing my Twitter accounts. Too many lines are getting crossed too often by Twitter. It's a shame.
Show threadBeeCycling has movedJan 15, 2023
@viticci Is Hootsuite among the ones affected by this? JUst wondering if the axe has come down on ones mostly used by individuals, while leaving alone the ones aimed at the corporate market.
Show threadNarlesJan 15, 2023
@viticci shameful
Show threadAral BalkanJan 15, 2023

@viticci Ten years ago, they’d shut the gate and limited them in size (https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/16/twitter-api-client-apps/). Looks like Elon’s finally locked it completely.

(An API key for a proprietary service is a key to a gate you don’t own. And it’s as much in the nature of a gate to be open as it is to be shut and locked.)

#open #openAPI #twitter #elonMusk

TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands

Show threadOblomovJan 15, 2023
@aral @viticci
yep, that's one of the things I like the least about much of the discussion going around the topic: not enough mentions of the fact that it was bound to happen sooner or later, by virtue (or vice, rather) of it not being an open platform.
Show threadSylvain G.Jan 15, 2023
@viticci Twitter would certainly not be where it is today without 3rd party clients.
I can't believe baby Elon do not understand the value of an open API. He should not shutdown them, but expand their capabilities as a way to drive cash in Tw. And no-one will have the power to drive this on legal ground
Show threadThe Dadman Who Laughs 🇺🇦Jan 15, 2023
@viticci Agreed 💯. The native app is hot garbage - easy to see why he doesn’t want it to have any competition. Up to him, but only a trash human treats other humans that way.
Show threadfirewyreJan 15, 2023
@viticci
Show threadBritish Tech GuruJan 15, 2023
@viticci I see what he's doing. He has disabled all the 3rd party apps in order to identify all of the auto-posting bot accounts.
Show threadPeter ButlerJan 15, 2023
@britishtechguru @viticci but it's not all the 3rd party apps yet, only the most popular. HootSuite still works.
Show threadBritish Tech GuruJan 15, 2023
@peterbutler @viticci ai know I have a few Twitter accounts that I set auto-posting about 10 years ago because I just had no interaction. I left them running. I sometimes wonder if they're still chuntering away. I would check on them if I could remember the site that's broadcasting the messages.
Show threadBrian StuckiJan 15, 2023
@viticci excellent write up. What a disappointing flip of the switch.
Show threadCoach Pāṇini ®Jan 15, 2023
@viticci @andyn it was always gonna end like this, right
Show threadTheFifeDawgJan 15, 2023
@viticci What iOS Apps do you recommend for Mastodon?
Show threadAdam FourneyJan 16, 2023
@TheFifeDawg @viticci Ivory ;)
Show threadTheFifeDawgJan 16, 2023
@adam @viticci Yeah I have looked at that one. Looks really nice, need a beta invite or hopefully they release early access soon.
Show threadAdam FourneyJan 16, 2023
@TheFifeDawg @viticci yeah, I snagged a beta invite. It’s pretty solid. Some missing features around content warnings, and profile editing, etc. but core functionality is smooth
Show threadWendy LadyJan 15, 2023
@viticci it's real nice of him to help move along the exodus from Twitter to Mastodon.
Show threadNikolajJan 15, 2023
@viticci I guess it also goes to show how few ppl actually used/know about third party apps. Terribly sad
Show threadShujin Academy VGM ClubJan 15, 2023
@viticci The really messed up thing is that it happened with no warning. What an asshole move.
Show threadUgoJan 15, 2023
@viticci molto interessante, una lacrimuccia è scesa, soprattutto per chi, come me, ha vissuto tutta la storia dei client dall’inizio, provandoli davvero tutti
Show threadFederico Viticci Jan 16, 2023
@meposz Bei tempi!
Show threadgh0sti Jan 15, 2023
@viticci such a travesty that elon just shut them down with no notice or conversation.
Show threadSteve YelvingtonJan 15, 2023

@viticci

I still see tweets being replicated on Mastodon by bots, and the bot I have set up to auto-post on Twitter (my reasons for leaving) continues to work. So, are these apps using a different API? Is Twitter selectively blocking these apps?

Show threadyProdJan 15, 2023
@steve Yes, these popular clients habe been “suspended”, selectively.
Show threadtoxtethogradyJan 15, 2023
@viticci Funny thing is he has less money than he had. All because he bought Twitter. And all it cost him was $200B.
Show threadSimon 🌻Jan 15, 2023
@viticci Spot on Federico. If it wasn’t for the likes of Tweetbot, Twitterrific, I wouldn’t have used twitter anywhere like I did.
It’s a real shame as twitter was by far my main social media outlet and just really enjoyed it. Sadly, that has been taken away and if I’m honest, even before Musk took over, it was getting tiresome in terms of the toxicity around. Musk just took it to another level.
Show threadJigenJan 15, 2023
@viticci I'm kind of surprised this just hasn't immediately put a bullet into Twitter. How are so many of the heavy users subsisting without use of the API?
Show threadCarlos G.Jan 15, 2023
@viticci this is the definitive end of Twitter for me. I have always been an user of third party apps like Twitterrific and Tweetbot, not Twitter per se
Show threadiSchackJan 15, 2023
@viticci @mark #Tweetbot is working for me again. Had to re-authorize my accounts, though.
Show threadklept0Jan 15, 2023

@iSchack @viticci @mark

Partially back it looks like with a re-with

Show threadNick DowsonJan 15, 2023
'This is what monopolies look like' @viticci
Show threadAndrewkfbJan 15, 2023
@viticci I think you are right that this was inevitable, still can't help but be upset 😞 3rd party devs never deserved this kind of treatment. On a positive note tho, the moment Ivory hits the App Store, Tapbots just needs to name their price and I'll give it to them 💰
Show threadBillyJan 15, 2023
@viticci Honestly Twitter’s been going that direction for years. It’s the reason awesome applications like TTYtter stopped being developed. Sure, the community picked up the slack when TTYtter’s developer got sick of Twitter’s crap and left, but as far as I can tell, even development on Oysttyer has stalled for years. Yes, it does suck, but it’s really just business as usual for these walled garden, nonfederating companies. Look at the state of Facebook’s API. These days it’s practically useless unless you’re using it to try to talk people out of money, which is why fbcmd is gone and nothing has really been able to replace it.
Show threadLee Mifsud Jan 15, 2023
@viticci looks like Tweetbot is working now
Show threadLee Mifsud Jan 15, 2023
@viticci never mind. Can login and read tweets but not post 😂
Show threadLen WhittenJan 15, 2023
@viticci FWIW, @tweetbot is working again
Show threadMigrated to @[email protected] 🏳️‍🌈🎃🇧🇷Luana🇧🇷🎃🏳️‍🌈Jan 15, 2023

@viticci I wonder if this is why he removed the app indicator (“twitter for…”)

But those apps should all both
- add a “switch to Mastodon” notification
- let you add your own api key

Show threadRnodenisJan 15, 2023
@viticci I doubt it is legit under EU law. Could be a 2nd strike two. Not even asking anymore how Ireland's single point of contact is getting destroyed. Elon is fucking up a lot.
Show threadGarrett  Jan 15, 2023
@phocks that's sad to hear! Back when I used Twitter I used to use all sorts of third party clients (Fenix being my favorite.) I always loved how you didn't just have to use the default app! Shame they were just given the axe out of nowhere like that
Show threadChristophe BobdaJan 15, 2023
@viticci Can it just stay like this all the time?
Show threadDrBob, 🧠 MechanicJan 15, 2023
@viticci @ProgGrrl Musk managed to make #facebook look good…pure genius!
Show threadPaul Edmondson-JonesJan 15, 2023
@viticci weirdly, my Tweetbot app just allowed me to sign in and has pulled in my feed…
Show threadThat One Average 成Jan 15, 2023

@viticci Eh.
As an Android user, Third-party apps were already dead for like four or more years at this point, so Twitter was basically dead to me for a long time before this point.

Musky just pinned the final nail in the coffin at this point.
As someone who only ever used Tweetdeck, Falcon 2, a bit of Tweetbot and even Core/Cawbird, Twitter Web is a mess and the mobile app is a joke of design and UX.
Guess it's nice that people now are recognizing this, even if it's a bit late.

Show threadMurray CraneJan 15, 2023
@viticci well now, if there was one act of corporate vandalism that was pretty much guaranteed to make me get rid of my Twitter account, this was it. I haven't used the official Android app in years (far preferring Fenix Pro), because it is utter pig vomit compared to third party offerings: I will not be installing the OEM app. How long until he kills Tweetdeck as well and I have no reason at all to stick with it I wonder?
Show threadhaxploited 🇺🇦Jan 15, 2023
@viticci why not reuse those UIs and replace Twitter service layer with Mastodon one?
Show threadFederico Viticci Jan 16, 2023
@thecyberd3m0n yeah a lot of folks are doing exactly that
Show threadSkylar Caulfield Jan 15, 2023
@viticci has twitter confirmed that the api is now closed? or is this just a result of no one maintasining the api server
Show threadFederico Viticci Jan 16, 2023
@skymtf they haven't said anything whatsoever. They just pulled the plug.